Apparatus for automatically recording music.



0. W. NYSTRD'M.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY RECORDING MUSIC.

APPLIOATION TILED OUT. 2, 1911.

1,018,982. Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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WITNESSES;

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coLUM nA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHIIGTON. D- c.

C. W. NYSTRGM.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY RECORDING MUSIC.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 2, 1911.

1,018,982. Patented Feb. 27, 1912,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES! INVENTOH: "2 WW m BY W my CARL WILHELM NYSTRUM, F KARLSTAD,SWEDEN.

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY RECORDING MUSIC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 2, 1911.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912. Serial No. 652,279.

- To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CARL VVILHELM NY-srnoiu, engineer, subject of Sweden, residing at Karlstad, Sweden, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for AutomaticallyRecording Music, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention refers to certain improvements in apparatus forautomatically recording music, said apparatus being of the previouslyknown kind, in which two or more cutting tools, working against acontinuously moving note strip or against a rotating note disksuccessively are put into action during the downward movement of a keyby means of electromagnets. Experiments made by the inventor haveproved, that in order to obtain an exact recording of the movement ofthe key, the pair of electric contacts, which first enters into actionwhen depressing a key, should break when the second pair of contacts hasclosed its circuit. The invention refers to devices for said purpose.

In the accompanying drawings a constructional form of the invention isillustrated in Figures 16. Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section andFig. 2 a front view of the apparatus. Figs. 36 are details which will bereferred to below. Figs. 7-13 illustrate modified constructional forms.

The pairs of recording contacts shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive consistof angular pieces 1 and 2 cooperatively associated with the contactplates 3 and 4 respectively. All contacts are mounted upon a frame 5,

whichis fixed to a spindle 6. The spindle 6, which is actuated by thespring 11 and is adjustable in a vertical direction, is guided by list-s7 and 8 and'for the purpose of establishing a constant distance betweenthe contacts, even if the keys are not situated in one common plan, theangular plate 15 is provided on the frame 5, resting on a boss 9 on thespindle 10. The spindle 6 by this construction is caused to follow thevertical movements of the spindle 10, and owing to the arrangement ofthe boss 12 on the spindle 10, toward which the angular pieces 1 and 2are resting with their arms 13 and 14, the distance between the contactsis automatically made constant. When a piece of music is to be recordedthe spindle 6 is fixed in position which is performed by means of theangular arm 16, pivoted on the list 42, and the spring 17, pressing theangular arm 16 toward the spindle 6. The spindle 6 is released from theangular arm 16 by means of the list 18, movable in a longitudinaldirection.

As already described the angular pieces 1 and 2 rest with their arms 13and 14 on the boss 12 on the spindle l0. Said spindle 10 rests with itslower end on the key 19. On the spindle is loosely mounted a boss 20,the one'end of which is conical. Said boss 20 is pressed by a spring 21toward the boss 9, whereby the pressure of the spring 21 is notessentially greater, than to keep the boss 20 lifted. On the angularpiece 1 is provided another arm 22, the end 23 of which is bent at anangle and is provided with an inclined surface 24.

When now a piece of music is to be recorded, and the keys are depressed,the spindles 10 follow said movements of the keys in a known manner. Theangular pieces 1 and 2 follow the downward movement of said spindles 1Oowing to the boss 12 and the springs 26, which tend to carry thecontacts together. From the drawing it will be obvious, that the angularpiece 1 first closes contact with the plate 3, and this occurs when thekey 19 is depressed about 1 millimeter. Said contact is still closed,until the angular piece 2 has entered into contact with the plate 4 andwhen this occurs the conical end of the boss 20, which has followed thedownward motion of the spindle,'has reached the arm '22 of the angularpiece 1 at 24, whereby the contact between the angular piece 1 and theplate 3 is interrupted. This happens when the key has made about of itsdownward movement. In order to avoid that the angular piece 1 during theupward motion of the spindle 10 makes contact' once more, the boss 20 isprovided with a groove 27, into which the arm 22 falls, and said grooveis arranged in such a manner, that another contact can not be performedduring one and the same period. The boss 20 is of course hooked by thepart 24, butsaid fact does not prevent the upward motion of the spindle10,'as the spring 21 is very feeble,

as above mentioned, and only when the key is approaching its position ofrest, the

spring is strained so much that it can move the arm 22, whereby the boss20 takes the position shown on the drawing.

As the contacts are not closed during the whole downward motion of thekey, the difference of time between the closing moments of the first andthe second pair of contacts will be very small, and consequently theproportion between the first and the second impression on the notestrip, will be very dissatisfying, even in case of a feeble touch. Saidinconvenience however is obviated by placing the cutting tools 28,actuated by the circuit of the pair of contacts 1 and 3, 1 or 2millimeters in front of the cutting tools 29, actuated by the circuit ofthe pair of contacts 2 and 45.

Figs. 710 show another constructional form, whereby the above mentionedpurpose is gained, viz. that the pair of electric contacts, which firstenters into action, is opened, when the second pair of contacts hasclosed its circuit. 6 indicates the spindle, carrying the frame 5, onwhich the contacts are mounted. 1 indicates the angular piece, restingwith the arm 13 on the boss on the key spindle, shown in Figs. 1-6. 30,31, 32 indicate three contact springs, fixed by their upper ends at theframe 5, and insulated from one another. The pair of contacts, whichfirst closes its circuit, is constituted by the outer springs 30 and 32,of which the spring 30 is electrically connected with the frame 5, whichin turn is electrically connected with one end of the correspondingelectromagnet. The second pair of contacts is constituted by the springs30 and 31, for which purpose the second electromagnet is electricallyconnected with the frame 5. The angular piece 1 is provided with twoprojections 33, 34, arranged in such a manner as to press against eachof the springs 30 and 32, when the piece 1 oc' cupies its upperposition, whereby the lower ends of the contact springs 30 and 32 areseparated from one another, and a contact 35 on the spring 30 is at thesame time held out of engagement with the middle contact spring 31,which, as shown on the drawing, is shorter than the outer springs 30 and32. An angular piece 36, connected by a spring 37 with the angular piece1, is pivoted on the frame 5, and is provided with a projection 38,abutting against a projection 40 on the spring 32. A second projection39 adjustably carried by the angular piece 36 abuts against a projectionon the angular piece 1.

When the angular piece 1 is in its upper position the springs 30, 31, 32and the pieces 1 and 36 occupy the positions shown in Fig. 7, in whichall the contacts are interrupted. When now depressing the key, the arm13 of the angular piece 1 follows the movement downward, whereby theangular piece 32 are still in contact with one another.

When the key is still more depressed the angular piece 1 has moved theangular piece 36 by means of the cotiperation with the projection 39, sothat the projection 38 has moved down the projection 40 of the spring32, whereby said spring by its elasticity is moved away from the spring30, breaking the contact between said springs, as shown in Fig. 10. Onlythe pair of contacts 30, 31 is now closed. When the key and the angularpiece 1 is moving upward, the projections 33, 3 1 will move the springs30, 31 to the left, so that the parts assume the positions shown in Fig.7.

Fig. 11 shows another constructional form, departing from theconstruction described with reference to Figs. 7-10 essentially onlythereby, that two springs substitute the spring 32, the outer of which32 being provided with the projection 40 whereas the inner spring 32 isprovided with a contact. In a similar way two springs substitute thespring 30, of which the outer spring 30 is prolonged downward, enteringa hook 451 in the angular piece 1, and tending to press said pieceagainst the boss of the spindle. The inner spring 30 is provided with acontact cooperating with the contact of the spring 32. The outer spring30 is provided with a contact pin 35, penetrating a hole in the spring30 for cooperating with the spring 31.

Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate an arrangement for securing the interruptionof the pair of contacts 30*, 31 in the moment when the key begins tomove upward and the angular piece 1 begins to return to its originalposition. On the angular piece 1 a yielding arm y is fixed at y The freeend of said arm penetrates a hole f in the spring 30*, and is providedwith a hook 7 The arm y tends to abut against the lower edge of the holeWhen the angular piece 1 moves downward said arm fl/ rests on said loweredge of the hole y, and in the lowest position of the piece 1 the hook yis below the lower edge of the hole z so that the arm 3 moves the spring30 in a sidewise direction, when the angular piece 1 begins to moveupward, separating the contact pin 35 from the spring 31 and breakingthe contact between the springs 30 and 31. When the arm 1 has movedsufiiciently upward the end of the yielding arm y engages the pin ywhereby the arm will be raised to move the hook y out of engagement withthe spring whereby it Will pass through the hole y*, allowing the spring80 to assume its normal position.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for automatically recording music a multitude ofcutting tools for each key, actuated by electromagnets, pairs ofelectric contacts, successively entering into action during the downwardmotion of the key, and means for breaking the contacts of a precedingpair of contacts, when a subsequent pair of contacts is closed.

2. In an apparatus for automatically recording music a spindle, restingon the key, a frame, carrying pairs of electric contacts, an arm,pivoted on said frame and actuated by the spindle, and means forbreaking the contacts of a preceding pair of contacts, when a subsequentpair of contacts is closed.

3. In an apparatus for automatically recording music, a spindle, restingon the key, a frame carrying pairs of electric contacts means forautomatically adjusting the frame in a vertical direction according tothe position of the spindle, and means for securing the frame in saidadjusted position.

4. In an apparatus for automatically recording music a spindle, rest-ingon the key, a frame carrying insulated contact springs, an arm, pivotedon said frame and actuated by the spindle, means on said arm for closingsaid contact springs two and two in succession.

5. In an apparatus for automatically recording music a spindle, restingon the .key, a frame, carrying insulated contact springs, an arm,pivoted on said frame and actuated by the spindle, means on said arm forclosing contact between the springs two and two and for breaking apreceding pair of contacts when a subsequent pair of contacts is closed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL WILHELM NYsTRoM.

Witnesses:

WALDEMAR BOMAN, THORVALD NYsTRoM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

